Liquid crystal display devices for liquid crystal televisions or the like include a liquid crystal panel used as a display panel to display images and a backlight device that supplies illumination light to the display panel, for example. One example of such a backlight device is an edge-lit backlight device in which a light guide plate is housed in a case and guides light from a light source that enters a light-entering face provided along at least one end face of the light guide plate to the display surface side of the light guide plate.
In edge-lit backlight devices, a reflective sheet is sometimes arranged between the case and the light guide plate in order to reflect light that leaks from the surface of the light guide plate opposite to the light-exiting surface back into the light guide plate. In such backlight devices, if the reflective sheet separates from the light guide plate on the light-entering face side of the light guide plate, light may leak out of the resulting gap.
Patent Document 1 discloses an edge-lit backlight unit in which separation of the reflective sheet from the light guide plate on the light-entering face side of the light guide plate is prevented or inhibited. In this backlight unit, the reflective sheet is arranged between the light guide plate and a reflector that functions as a case, and protrusions that protrude towards the reflective sheet are formed in portions of the reflector near the light source. Moreover, the portion of the reflective sheet extending out past the light-entering face towards the light source is arranged on top of these protrusions, thereby curving the reflective sheet. This configuration prevents or inhibits separation of the reflective sheet from the light guide plate near the light-entering face of the light guide plate.